Homework is an interesting topic. It seems that what's given as homework has not changed despite advances in technology.
I recently blogged about some chemistry teachers in Colorado who have switched up what homework is:
http://learninginhand.com/blog/2008/07/video-podcasts-free-up-class-time.htmlThese teachers have students watch podcasts of their lectures as their only homework. What traditionally was given as homework is done during class time. This makes sense to me as watching a lecture is fairly passive. I like that students can re-watch parts they don't understand without slowing down the rest of the class. The lecture is effectively at each student's own pace.
What is done in class are hands-on experiments, activities that require collaboration, and written work that students will inevitably have questions about. This makes the teacher available to assist students while they need the help--not in the traditional panic the next morning before the homework is due.
When the homework is to watch your iPod or TV, it sounds less like a punishment. It seems the Colorado students appreciate this approach.
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